Her
by avugalde
Summary: "I don't remember anyone else. Everything I know now about them is because they have told me" "But you know me. You know how I was. You told me you knew!" "I do. I just...don't know why" (My first story .)
1. Chapter 1

"And so, the cells communicate" the teacher keep talking. The girl on the back didn't pay attention, looking outside waiting for the classes to finish.

At age fourteen, Rin knew a lot about cells. She knew a lot about the human body, actually.

"Alright. Class dismissed" _Finally_.

She guesses that classes aren't that bad. The teacher is not that boring, and always helps if someone doesn't understand.

_"The ovulation occurs around the fourteenth day of the menstrual cycle" The teacher wrote numbers from 1 to 30 "now, help me count. Let's say it starts the day...6th. When do you think the ovulation would occur? 20th? 1st, 2nd, 3rd...19th. Sorry, you knocked up the girl"_

...

_"__This is the Eustachian tube. Not the Fallopian tube, be careful" she turned and pointed to a random boy "Do you have a Eustachian tube?"_

_"__Yes"_

_"__Alright…and you" she pointed to another boy "Do you have a Fallopian tube?" there were some giggles, and the boy looked a little bit scared._

_"__No?"_

_"__Why not?"_

_"'__Cause…I'm not a girl?"_

_"__Yes, excellent"_

**-0-O-0-**

"Mom, I'm home!" she says, going behind the counter to enter the house.

"About time" her mother is with two boys at the living room. Well, a boy and an armor "They're the Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse. You met them when you were around eight" the blonde boy looks at her with a small smile, waving his hand a little.

"Hi Rin. I'm Ed, he's my brother Al. We used to be friends when we lived with Teacher" he puts his hand behind his head smiling nervously.

"Hi! I'm sorry if I don't remember you, I guess Mom already told you about the accident"

"Yes. We're sorry. We know what it's like to lost a parent" The armor speak, and though she was waiting for a deep and mean voice to come from it, the voice was actually very sweet and a little bit sad.

She looks at the armor, and for a moment she sees golden eyes and blond hair replacing the steel.

But she couldn't remember him, right? If she couldn't remember her uncle and Izumi, why would she remember a boy she met at eight and haven't seen in more than five years?

**-0-O-0-**

It's late on the night when she finds him sitting at the living room, a book on his big hands. She reminds herself that she does _not_ know him, not anymore. That it doesn't matter what kind of relationship they have, she can't just—

"So you are—_were_ – Mom's apprentice" she says, sitting next to him on the floor.

"Yes. We should try it again. My name is Alphonse Elric. It's nice to meet you" he offers a metal hand to her and she takes it gently. (That's the way she acts now—gently, softly, always waiting for things that won't come)

"I'm Rin Curtis" she answers, and she finds it easy to talk with him, even if they have barely said anything "What happened to your body? I know I shouldn't ask, but…Mom and Dad have mentioned you guys, and I wanted to know how you were like, but they always talked about two blond boys, and I don't remember you, and I—"

"Rin. You're talking too much" he says and she stops herself. (And it's been so long since anyone has told her that, and she doesn't remember, and she just _knows_ that this is normal. That a talking Rin and a silent Al are _right_, and this has happened before, and she always talk too much around him, and he doesn't mind, and she is always happy with him)

She listens to him all the night, maybe he doesn't talk all the night, maybe she falls sleep, but her dreams are about him, and they are laughing and running, and she is small (_smaller_) and he is taller, but not _that_ tall.

She wakes up that morning on her own bed, still with the clothes that she used last night, felling warm and maybe she doesn't remembers _what_ she dreamed of, but she _knows_ it's good.

_"__I remember a lot of things, you know. But people just...It's like I lived, but there are not people on the memories. I know I did things, but I don't remember with who, or when. I remember the things I learned. And I remember my mother, and I think my father had brown eyes, but Mom and Dad never were there, and you and Ed weren't there" _

_"__Why do you call Teacher 'Mom'? As far as I know, she's your aunt"_

_"__Well…a mom takes care of you, and loves you, and protect you…And she _is_ a mom to me. I've been living here for years. Besides, she says 'Mother' makes her sound too old"_


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey" she smiles sitting down next to him.

"Hey" he doesn't look at her, just staring ahead.

"Something wrong?" she asks, seeing people pass on the street "You have been sitting here for a long time".

"I'm fine" he snaps, and she knows he's lying, because that's not how Al talks to her, so she looks at the people in front of her and she sees why he's like that. She feels sad for a moment, puts a hand on his arm and closes her eyes. He doesn't move, she knows he can't feel her; he can't know she has her hand on him, so she speaks instead.

"I miss my mom too, you know" in front of them are a child and his mother. The kid is laughing, and his mother is smiling, she takes his hand and helps him walk "I don't really remember her; the accident and everything, but…I think she was nice"

"My mom was the best. She was always kind, and very gentle. She used to look outside the house, as if hoping Dad would come back. Brother and I tried to make her happy, but…she was weak, and fell ill. She died not too long after that. I was four"

"I'm sorry"

"It's not like it was your fault"

"I know. Well, I have to go. I'll see you later, right?"

"Where are you going? It's too early for anything" Rin was sure that if Al had a face that could show emotions, he would be confused. She had to remember herself that this boy doesn't go to school.

"School? That place where you learn things for almost 12 years?" she smiles a little, and he stands up, and she takes a step back. (Because she doesn't _know_ him, not really, and he's an _armor_)

"I'll walk you there" he says instead, waiting for a reply.

"Okay" she takes a step, and then another, and they both walk together to her school.

It becomes a routine for them to walk to school (and _of course_ there are rumors. She tries to ignore them, because she knows the truth, and that should be enough). He's waiting for her at the end of the classes sometimes, and sometimes she walks back home alone.

**-0-O-0-**

"Al!" normally, she wouldn't ask for something like this, but she's so tired after sparring for so long, that she just looks at him and sees the opportunity.

"Something's wrong?" he ask, looking down at her.

"Eh…you might not get tired, but I can't even walk to the house" she's lying on the ground, on a place where kids usually play soccer or anything with a ball.

"Err…Do you want me to carry you?" and there was the question she was looking for.

"Okay!" she grins and lifts her arms. Alphonse bends down and puts one arm behind her legs and other on her back, picking her up "Thank you"

"Not a problem" he says, walking. His arms are hard and her back hurts a little, but she won't say that to him (Because _of course_ he would apologize for something he can't control, and feel guilty about it)

**-0-O-0-**

"AAAAHHHH!" she knows she shouldn't scream, but it's almost a reflex when an angry Izumi Curtis is chasing you.

"Come here, brat!" a shoe flies close to her head, but she doesn't stops.

"Help me! My old mom is trying to kill me!" she yells, running down the street. People look at them, not really doing anything. (Because _everyone_ knows that Izumi Curtis would _never_ hurt her daughter. Not badly at least. After all the things she had to do to have her, she wouldn't take the risk).

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING OLD?!" and there goes the other shoe. Rin wasn't really afraid; her mom never hit her hard. This chase would probably end with her being dragged back home by her ear, and Mom making her clean the mess she made.

"AAAAHHHH! GUYS! Help me!" a familiar blond and a suit of armor are walking down the street and she hides behind them.

"Rin? What did you do?" Ed asks after seeing an angry Izumi walking down the street.

"I may or may not have tried to bake a cake" she says, peeking glares over Ed's shoulder.

"It was that bad?"

"It wasn't bad! Dad and Mason liked it. But…I forgot to clean the kitchen"

"RIN CURTIS!"

"Damn"

**-0-O-0-**

"Ed?" she should be asleep, and so should he, but she can't fall asleep without asking him.

"Yeah?" he sits up on his bed, Al nowhere to be seen.

"I…Was I a good friend, back then?" she asks, looking down at her feet, still standing on the door.

"Of course. We didn't see each other that much; you lived with your parent at that time. But we did go to some places with Teacher and Sig, and you played with us sometimes. They always treated like a daughter. You talked more. When we came back you were a little shy, but now you're almost yourself."

"Okay. Thank you" she turns around, but he speaks before she can leave.

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh, it's nothing" she smiles at him and walks to her room.

**-0-O-0-**

"SHUT UP!" he yells, hitting her on the face again. She whimpers a little, but offers no more resistance. Tears are streaming down her face, her lip is bleeding and her eye feels weird. "Who the hell do you think you are?" her head hits the brick wall behind her and makes her feel dizzy. Her shoulders are sore for it's not the first time he makes her hit the wall. (And she honestly doesn't know _what_ she did. Because on this days, that Orphan Rin breathes the same air that you is unforgivable for this boy)

"HEY! What are you doing?!" a voice too familiar for her call from the street. Edward takes the boy by the shoulders and gets him away from her "Al, you take care of the girl. I'll deal with the bastard"

"Hey, it's okay now. Brother will make him pay" she doesn't look up, feeling ashamed that the boys found her on such a vulnerable moment. "What's your name? I promise I won't hurt you".

(How long has it been? Three weeks? More than three weeks, she thinks. More than three weeks hiding bruises on her arms, hiding her bruised ribs).

"C'mon. Answer me. I swear I won't do anything bad. I just want to help you"

"I know you won't" she answers, her voice so quiet that she thinks he doesn't hears her. But he does, she realizes when he moves away from her.

"Rin? Oh my God, Rin. Why would someone do something like this?" he is now kneeling in front of her, getting her off the wall so gently that she feels it on her heart.

"I don't know" she is now sobbing, letting him carry her like a baby. "I don't know. It's my fault. It always is" her sobs make her shake so bad that it hurts. It hurts everywhere, and it's been so long since she has feel so _safe _on the arms of someone that isn't her family (because her family won't hurt her, she knows this). She now feels okay, she feels safe, she feels like it's not her fault, like she isn't the guilty one anymore.

"It's not your fault" he says so softly that she cries harder "It's not your fault"

* * *

"She's going to be okay. Just let her rest" Alphonse doesn't hears anything else. She's going to be okay, and that's great. She looks so fragile at that moment, so _broken_ that he just can't look away. (He feels like it's his fault, because he could have save her. He should have go to her school to wait for her. And _Oh God- _he doesn't believe in God, but right now he just has to believe that something is listening-_how many times has this happened before?_ All those time he didn't go to get her, all those times she just went on her own).

_"I'm sorry" Alphonse rushes to her side, searching for any injury on her face._

_"It's okay" she says, touching her bottom lip, there where he kick her "It's not your fault. You didn't do it on purpose" she looks at her fingertips where something red is. _

_"I'm sorry" he says again, looking at the floor. She puts a hand on his shoulder, and when he looks again, she has her upper lip on her bottom one, hiding all traces of blood and the small cut itself. She smiles with her darks eyes in that way that only she can do and he feels a little better, like if he doesn't see it, it didn't happen._

But now Alphonse is not eight, now Alphonse is fourteen and he knows that just because you can't see something, it doesn't mean that it didn't happen.

**-0-O-0-**

The day he gets kidnapped, she can only wait on the house, following the order her Mom gave her. She tries to keep busy working on the shop, but that doesn't ease her worry.

He comes back later, covered in blood, so she gets a towel and starts cleaning him without talking. He sits on the steps and watches her get on his chest, rubbing the blood of that chimera.

"That's what keeps your soul on the armor, right? Your blood seal" she whispers, not wanting to hear Major Armstrong and Ed's conversation.

"Yes. Please don't touch it. If something happens to it, he's gone" Ed talks from behind, making her jump.

"I won't, don't worry" but the question on her head didn't leave, even in the night. (Because that was his soul, basically. And if he couldn't feel with his new body, why would he not feel with his soul?)

**-0-O-0-**

"You will visit, right?" she asks when they are on the train station, and they're saying goodbye. (And she _can't_ cry, because she knows she will see him again. Or maybe she hopes so).

"Of course. If we're lucky, next time I see you I'll be human again" his helmet doesn't show any emotion, but she knows he's excited about getting his body back. His voice says it all.

"Don't be silly. You're a human now. A human is not made by body only"

He touches her face, just below her eye with his thumb and she doesn't see any emotion, but she can just feel it.

"Goodbye Al" she kisses her helmet (Because it's close, even if she had to stand on her tiptoes. He just was standing close as he wanted to look her face really close) and she knows he can't feel, but that doesn't matter, because next time he will, they both swear on that moment that he will.

* * *

_**Ok, my first languaje is not english, so sorry for any mistake. This fic shouldn't be too long, five or six chapters probably. If you want me to write about something specific, just ask for it! Anyway, it should be centred more on post-promised day events. I have only watched the anime, so I'll follow that. It's my first fanfic, any observation is welcome!**_


	3. Chapter 3

"Mister Hoheheim" it's night already and even if it's been a long day (and a very tiring one), she can't sleep without thanking him.

"Yes, child?" he looks up and into her eyes. He looks a lot like Edward (or maybe Edward looks a lot like him) but those eyes remember her of someone else. When she saw that man in the eyes for the first time, she didn't saw Edward. She saw Alphonse. She saw a kind-hearted person, someone who would listen and try to help (It's not like Edward didn't do that, it's just that he looked like someone who would do it on a … louder way). She saw someone quiet and reserved.

"Thank you" she smiles a little, moving her dark hair out of her eyes "You helped my mom and that's something I may never thank you enough" she bows a little, truly grateful.

"It was nothing. Now, do you want to talk? I actually have time and you don't look sleepy" he smiles a little and she feels a nice thing on her chest, same feeling she gets when she talks with her mother or father.

"What do you want to know? I don't have many memories" she sits in front of him, always looking down.

"They say in Xing that friends are connected by their souls. They say you can't really forget them" he takes one of her hands on one of his and makes her look at him "Think about your friends and you may found memories" she closes her eyes and nods.

Some seconds pass and she stays silent. She takes a deep breath, opening her eyes surprised. She leans on the table, trying to get closer to him.

"Alphonse has a little bit of green on his eyes, right? And Ed is right-handed. They…They have a friend named Winry. I didn't remember a lot, but it's there, Mr. Hohenheim. Thank you!" she bows in front of him again and he smiles.

"I'm glad I could help you" she turns around and goes to her room, finally thinking that she may sleep that night.

**-0-O-0-**

"Briggs? Really?" she asks looking at her mom with an arched eyebrow.

"Yes. I just have to deliver a message" Izumi answers getting ready for the mountain cold.

"Be careful" her dad hugs her mom, who blushes and returns the hug.

"I will. Don't worry, I'll return soon. I love you, honey" she pull away from her husband and hugs her daughter "I love you" Rin replies that she loves her too and sighs when she is left alone with her dad.

"I have bad luck" she says, throwing herself on the bed "Why that day?! He has more than 300 days to choose, and he chooses my birthday" she takes a pillow and puts it on her face.

"Something always happens on your birthday" her father says, sitting on the edge of the bed. She moves and puts her head on his lap, letting him run his fingers through her hair.

"I don't remember that much. The memories are still trying to come back" she says, looking at the ceiling.

"When you were turning five, your parents made you a party. Half of the people who were there gave you the same present. And when you turned seven, some random guy tried to break in. Izumi took care of him, though. The day you turned nine Ed and Al tried to make you a new dress, and somehow Ed 'forgot' to pay for the fabric… "

"Alright. No more. I get the point"

**-0-O-0-**

Everything happens so fast that day. One moment they are waiting for everything to start, and in the next, everything has already ended. She misses the final battle, but is on time to watch how everyone gather around something (_Someone_, she realizes when she is close enough).

She has never seen this person. It's a boy with long blonde hair and very pale. He's _so_ thin, she can count every rib. He's asleep with a calm face. Something on her chest is moving, jumping, _screaming_ at her to remember. To recognize this face, to react.

Edward is at his side, touching the hair of this boy with so much love, his eyes shining with adoration.

And when the boy opens his eyes (and they're so happy, so shiny, and so full of _wonder_) she feels all the air leave her. Because it's him, she knows now. And _how_ could she forget about him, how could she forget about any of them.

"Alphonse!" screams a little girl, hugging him, crying and trying to speak but failing. He apologizes for something, and she smiles because that's so Alphonse, and now his voice doesn't have echo, and now he's flesh, and now he's smiling, and showing emotions, and she feels just _so_ happy.

"ALPHONSE ELRIC!" she screams, and the little girl moves away so she can throw herself at him, putting her face on his neck, small tears leaving her eyes (Because now he's warm, now he can feel her, now he wraps his arms around her and _laughs_ and his chest moves and everything is just right, everything is just so _wonderful_) "You did it" she repeats that over and over again, like if she stops she'll wake up and all of this would have been a dream.

"Happy birthday" he whispers on her ear, one of his hands on her hair and the other on her back. She pulls back, looking at him half angry, half amused.

"You _finally_ get your body back and you think about my birthday?" some people around her say things, going from 'Ouch' to 'Goddamit! I knew I was missing something'.

**-0-O-0-**

They take Alphonse to the hospital, where he starts to recuperate. Day by day, things start to look better. After some time, he can walk without the help of anyone else. Weeks later, he's not so thin and can walk only with a cane.

Edward exercises his arm until he can hold slighty heavy things. With that comes the discovery that he's ambidextrous.

Roy Mustang and Jean Havoc are recovering around the same time, and the four of them exercise around the same hour, both adults feeling proud of the brothers. Of course, they don't say that...not often.

Three months pass before they go to Resembool.

* * *

_"__Mmm…I missed this" Al said with closed eyes, tasting the food._

_"__Wait until Mrs. Gracia hears about everything" Ed smiles, his _flesh_ arm around Alphonse. _

_"__I can't wait. Maybe she can bake a cake for Rin-Rin" the girl looked up from the floor surprised. Years had passed since she had last heard that nickname. _

_"__Mom called me that, right?" she asks, looking at the brothers with tears on her eyes "She loved me a lot…She and Dad…and I didn't even cry for them" tears now adorned her face, and the boys felt a little bad "I…remembered some things…The accident…They died protecting me"_

_"__Yes" Izumi's voice sounded from behind Rin "And knowing them, they had no regrets. Any parent would do that. No parent should bury their child" her voice is gentle, and a hand flies to her belly. Sig hugs her and she leans on him. _

_"__I know, but...Why? Why our train? Why them?" she stands, now sobbing loudly. _

_"__Hey…I think I ate too much…" Al's voice sounds, and when they look at him, he looks a little green. _

**-0-O-0-**

When Winry throws herself to the brothers, Rin feels out of place. There is their childhood friend, who has been with them for so long, welcoming them home, and she can just stand there. (Because she doesn't know Winry, and she can't welcome them to a place where she has never been, and she just can't really do anything but watch)

A dog-_Den_- sniffs her leg, so she just sits herself on the ground and lets it lick her face.

"Hey girl" she smiles, patting her head and scratching between the ears "Good luck I like animals" she doesn't have a pet, but back in Dublith she always fed the homeless creatures. (Cats, dogs, birds even)

"Seems like she likes you. I'm Winry" Rin looks up and the blonde girl is smiling at her, offering her hand to help her.

"I know, they talked about you. I'm Rin" she smiles too, accepting the hand and standing up.

"Oh, believe me, I know"

(Time passes and she and Winry actually become good friends. They both get a little sad at the end of the summer when Rin goes back to Dublith, but keep contact. They both are happy to have a female friend to talk to, because no matter how close, you can't talk about everything with boys)

* * *

_"I started working with automail whenI was a little kid. My parents teached me a lot about medicine but I just prefered automail" Winry mixses the ingredients for the apple pie while Rin keeps working on the almost ready cake._

_"My mother was a nurse. She stoped working when I was born and instead opened a pastry shop with my father. They teached me a lot but I can't make everything. My specialty are cakes. I think I have some of the books with recipes. If you want, I can bring them the next time I visit"_

_"Please!" Winry looks at her with shiny eyes so she nods. _

_"Were you talking about food?" a long haired boy poked his face through the door. _

_"Yeah, we're hungry" a short haired boy walked in and sit down at the kitchen table. _

_"Ed, out of the kitchen!" Ed dodged a wooden spoon and tried to steal food. _

_"Here, Al. I don't need more cream"_

_"Thanks Rin-Rin"_

_"Why she gives him food and you don't give me?"_

_"He's still recovering"_

* * *

_"__Miss, what happens when you inject water on someone?" out of the blue, a kid asked. _

_"__Well…it's kind of hard to explain for such a small child…but let's say there are little things called blood cells on your blood. They will absorb the water, and…explode"_

_"__Really?!" the kid sounded exited._

_"__Yes, so you shouldn't do it. The person will die"_

_"__My mom did that to spiders when she was a kid!" a little girl yelled from the back of the class. _

_"And what happened to it?" the girl with golden hair smiled before answering_

_"__They just stayed still" the teacher smiled at the girl's answer before winking._

* * *

**_Okay, next chapter should be about the two years and some little things about the journeys. Not much, I keep thinking this will not have more than 5 chapters. I didn't write a lot about those six month because almost everything is the same. Since Rin doesn't know alchemy, she stayed with Sig and the others. (The classes are inspired on my biology clases-Yes, a friend's mom killed spiders)_**


	4. Chapter 4

"Curtis Meats, what can we do for you?"

"Rockbell Prosthetic Limb Outfitters"

"Hey! How are you?"Rin takes the phone and sits down on a chair behind the counter.

"Fine, fine. I was just calling to check. Are you still coming this weekend?" Winry was whispering, hoping the brothers wouldn't hear.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm going to spend about three days there, if you don't mind"

"Of course I won't. It's nice to have you here. Okay, I gotta go. Al wants an apple pie"

"Okay, bye. Tell them I say hi" she smiles a little, thinking that she is going to see them again after five months (And she's happy, because she has missed them a lot, and she would never miss Al's birthday, not when he can _eat_ his cake now and blow out the candles and _smile_)

"Will do. Bye. Don't forget the books!" before she can say that she won't, that she already packed everything, Winry hangs up.

"Who was it, honey?" her mom asks from where she is cutting meat.

"Winry" she answers and her mother doesn't ask anything else. On the last five months, calls between them were a common thing.

_"__You know, they say egg helps" Winry told her, trying to help her with her hair problem. _

_"__Yeah, I heard the same, but I don't want to go around town smelling like egg" Rin answered, looking at her hair ends (they were very damaged, she noticed some days ago, and her hair felt very dry)_

_"__Winryyyyy" Rin could hear form the other side of the line "Come oooooon. Please. Just this time"_

_"__Is that Ed?" she really tried not to laugh, but that childlike voice was too much. _

_"__Yes" Winry didn't sound that amused "He wants me to go with him to the town. I already told him that I was busy, but…you know him" from Winry's side of the line, Rin could hear a mattress squeak. _

_"__He's…He's jumping on a bed?" couldn't help but smile at the though. _

_"__Nah, that's Al. Ed bought him a new mattress, and apparently it's very soft" even if she couldn't see Winry, she knew the girl was smiling. _

_"__C'MON WIN!" the squeaks stopped, continued then there was a "PAFF", followed by the laughs of Al and Winry. _

_"__Hey? Is someone there?" Rin asked, a little confused. _

_"__Rin-Rin?" Al's voice spoke. _

_"__Al! What happened? Everything's fine?"_

_"__Yeah, don't worry. Brother started to roll on bed, and fell from there" his voice shakes from laughter and she smiles when she pictures him on her mind, eyes shining, mouth open, arms around his belly._

_(She feels so happy, even if it's just her mind, because now she can look at his face and think that she remembers this. That a golden Al is the Al she knows, and even if he's the same Al that the silver Al, she just can't help but feel different around him. After all, she met the golden Al with all her memories, and the time she met the silver Al she couldn't remember a lot about her past.)_

**-0-O-0-**

"RIN!" Winry yelled, hugging her tight.

"Winry. Careful" Rin breaks away from the blonde. On her arm, looking very comfortable was a little white cat with its head on her hand and its tail on her elbow "Do you think he'll like it?"

"Oh, it's so cute" Winry takes the cat and smiles at the sight of the green ribbon "He'll love it. You are very lucky that I convinced Edward. He wanted to buy him one too"

"I don't think Al would have minded" Rin takes the suitcase and starts walking to Winry's house.

"Probably not, but three cats would be a little too much for us. I mean, yeah, Leelu is calm and everything, but…yeah, better not. Does this little thing have a name?" Winry lifts the kitty above her head and looks up at it.

"Nope. I though Al should name it" there are some minutes when none of them speaks, but then Winry asks her something she has been thinking about lately.

"What are you going to do when you graduate?" Rin looks at the sky for a moment, and Winry thinks that maybe she didn't hear, until the younger girl answers.

"I don't know. I want to help people, but I still don't know how. I could be a nurse, or maybe a teacher, or even get into the military, although I don't think Al and Ed would like that. I'm still trying to figure it out" both stay silent until they can see the Rockbell house, and two boys outside doing something that looked a lot like sparring.

"You know how to fight, right?" Winry looks at her grinning. At her nod, she takes her suitcase and hits her butt with it "Go ahead and surprise them"

She takes her shoes off and her jacket as she runs, thinking what a good decision was to wear pants. She is close, but only Ed sees her, and he doesn't make any move to suggest it.

"Ready or not here I come!" she yells, throwing a kick that Alphonse dodges just in time. Ed tries and throws a punch, but she moves at the last second and from then on, everything is just kicks, punches and dodges.

After some time, Ed steps back and goes inside the house. Winry is sitting on the steps, cat on her lap while watching them spar. Everything ends with Rin smiling, arms on the air with her right foot on Al's chest (And Al thinks she looks so carefree, with no bruises on her body, no tears on her cheeks, that smile on her face making her looks so pretty, so confident, and so _happy. _She cut her hair, he notices, but it look as great as longer hair looked on her)

She wasn't expecting him to grab her foot and make her fall on her butt.

"Thanks for coming" he says and hugs her. She feels her cheeks warm up, her smile widen.

(He is so healthy now, with his bones no longer showing, his hair shiny and his eyes- Oh, his eyes. She never realized how much she had missed them. That golden that wasn't just gold. That golden that hides a little bit of green, something from her mother, she's sure)

"Hey Al! Look what Rin brought you!" they move to see Winry holding the kitten up towards Alphonse.

"A kitty!" he sounds so much like a child, his face lighting up even more, getting up so quickly that Rin falls on her back.

"Glad you like it" she holds a thumb up, her other arm blocking the sun.

"Ah, sorry" he helps her up, one arm around her shoulders "I don't remember you this small" he looks down at her. She blushes and pushes him away.

"I'm not small. I'm only fifteen years old; I have time to grow up! It's not fair that you had this crazy growth spur!" she stomps off to the house leaving Al and Win laughing.

"Where are Al and Winry?" asks Ed holding a tray with glasses.

"Outside, laughing at my height" she takes a glass and drinks the juice frowning. He laughs and pats her head while supporting the tray on his hip.

"I know the feeling"

**-0-O-0-**

"Is it female or male?" she asks in the evening, sitting down at the couch besides Alphonse, who has his two cats on his lap.

"Both are female. This one was owned by an old lady, but her grandson was born and he is allergic to cats, so she gave me Leelu. This one is now called Psyche. Thanks, by the way" He puts his arm around her shoulders and she rests her head on his.

"What for? I should be the one thanking you. You have done so much for me" she smiles and he gives her a squeeze.

"Everything is okay, then? They stopped?"

"Yes. Everything is okay now" she interlaces their fingers and pets Leelu.

(Everything was so warm, they both though so. He was warm now, and so soft, and so comfortable. She was warm for him now, and so soft, and so squeezable. Now he could hold her as much as he wanted and didn't have to be afraid to hurt her. Now she could hug him as much as she wanted and know that he could feel it).

* * *

_"__Thank you" it was a common evening, and they were on Resembool, and he was weak and Ed was just looking at his brother and she couldn't resist the urge. She kissed Al's cheek and then blushed. _

_"__What was that for?" he looked surprised (She now could say that, because now he could show emotions, she could read his eyes and not just guess based on his voice)._

_"__Thank you…both of you. What you did back on Dublith the last time you were there….I never thanked you on a proper way" she doesn't looks at them, so she's surprised when both of them take her hands on theirs. _

_"__Rin, it was just something we would have done for anyone. It was something cruel and unjustified, and that guy shouldn't even though about it" Ed looks at her, but there something on his eyes. (Like he has seen too many unfair things, like he knows that there is injustice out there and there's little he can do to help)_

_"__We are relieved that at least we could stop him. We don't want to think what could have happened" Al runs his thumb across her hand._

_She just looks down, but on her lips a smile makes its way._

* * *

_"__Miss, does it look pretty?" a little girl shows the Teacher a picture she drew all by herself. _

_The teacher, still young and gentle took the picture on her hands and looked at it. (And it reminded her so much of the things her children gave her when they were little that she smiles and nods, even if her mind is far away)_

_"__Yes. It's very pretty. I think your parents would like it very much" the kid grabs the picture with a little too much force. _

_"__I don't have parents" her voice is almost angry, but so frail at the same time that the woman looks at her surprised. _

_"__Then with who do you live?" the girl just shakes her head and runs back to her chair. (And on that moment, remembering an angry boy she met once and a gentle brother, and remembering herself, she promises herself to help the girl) _

* * *

**_Ok, this one was a little harder than the others. I know how this should end, I do have some ideas for older Alphonse and Rin, like living together, kids, everything, but I don't know if people are really interested? Maybe I can just leave it like this? You can pretty much tell what's going to happen. Anyway, if someone wants me to keep going, I will. You just have to tell me. _**


	5. Chapter 5

On her sixteen birthday, Win, Ed and Al went to Dublith. While the three yellow-haired people where on a library, a boy approached her.

"Hey, Orphan Rin" he smirked, stopping in front of her. "Did you miss me while I was gone?" On instinct, she took a step back. "No need to run away. We used to have fun before, right?"

"Please-Please go away" she turns around and starts walking away, but the boy grabs her hair and presses her against a wall.

"C'mon. I'm your friend, right?" he pulls her hair, making her look at him "You're gonna pay for what that runt friend of yours did to me" his fist hits her cheek with force enough to blind her eye for a second.

"RIN!" three voices call her, making him look the way her friends are coming from.

"Guys, no" she says on a weak voice, having to tilt her head so her hair didn't make her whole head hurt.

"Oh, guys yes" Alphonse says cracking his knuckles. Edward stretches his arm, eyes burning with something very similar to hatred. Winry pulls out a wrench from god-knows-where (And Rin swears she looks just as dangerous as the boys, with her face showing so much anger and disgust, like that boy doesn't deserve more than dirt).

The boy grabs her hair even harder, a cruel smile on his lips. He throws her to the ground, where her head hits making a horrible sound. The last thing she sees is Alphonse ready to punch the bully on the face.

* * *

"You said it had stopped" is the first thing Alphonse says when she wakes up, sitting at the end of her bed, his back facing her.

"It had. I promise, Alphonse…He was out of town all this time. I…I didn't know he came back. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry" she covers her eyes with her arm, and suddenly her torso is lifted from the bed.

"You don't have to be sorry" he hides his face on her neck and she feels the tears falling on there. And she doesn't like it. She doesn't like it at all.

"Don't cry" she says, her hand on his hair. "Please, don't cry"

"I don't like to see you hurt" he says, and then tears fall on him.

Because she knows that he doesn't mean physically. Because she knows that bruises go away, and wounds heal with time. Because she knows that there are some scars that never leave your soul.

Oh, they both know that well.

They fall asleep that night in each other arms after talking about scars, and fears, and even nightmares, and the next morning, it's like everything is the same, even if they both know it isn't.

Maybe she would have liked something romantic, and maybe he will give her romantic things and take her on dates on the future. But that was a good way to start a relationship, and they both know that.

And yes, maybe on some years things will change. And maybe he'll marry another woman, and she'll marry another man, and that's possible because they're sixteen.

But that night, they open their hearts because on that moment, they want each other.

* * *

_"She's going to kill me" she murmurs, looking at the shop in front of her, holding a baby on her arms. _

_"I want to go back to Resembool" Al says behind her, holding another baby on his arms. _

_"No, I have to do this" she says to herself, taking a step._

_"You may, I don't. Goodbye" he's going to turn around when the door opened by itself, a big man behind it. "Oh, it's the nice one" _

_"Hey. Daddy. So...Happy Birthday!" she smiles, but the man doesn't take his eyes out of the baby on her arms. _

_"You had your baby. And you didn't tell us". _

_"Yeah, about that. You see, I wanted to give you guys a surprise. Please don't let Mom kill me" she feels her husband arm around her, holding her at his side. _

_"There are two babies" her father says, not processing the idea completly. _

_"They're twins? Al has Jona on his arms, I have Anya. Do you want to hold them?" Sig takes Jonathan on his arms, looking at the black-haired baby. _

_"Honey?" her mom's voice sounds behind her father. _

_"Hey mom" she says nervously. Her mother looks from her to the baby in her arms, to Alphonse, to Sig and the baby on his arms. Her eyes are soft and her smile is kind. _

_"Can I?" she extends her arms and Rin places her blond baby there "Look how pretty she is. You guys did a good job" she smiles at Al and Rin, and then something on her eyes changes. "Don't even think you're going to get out of this. Not telling us!"_

_"It was Rin's idea!"_

_"Traitor!"_

* * *

"Nhg…go away, Leelu" she groans, covering her head with a pillow. The cat doesn't listen, or maybe doesn't understand, and keeps putting her tail on Rin's nose "Leelu! AGH!" throwing the covers away, she gets up and takes the cat, walking outside the room where she is staying.

When she reaches Al's room, she holds his cat above his sleeping face, making Leelu's tail touch his nose every time she moves it.

"Leelu" he wrinkles his nose and reaches for his cat. Once he has her on his arms, he turns on his side and keeps sleeping.

"Unbelievable" she shakes her head and turns around to leave, but a hand on her wrist stops her.

"C'mere" he pulls her wrist and makes her lay beside him. "Good morning" he keeps his eyes closed, but smiles and kisses her nose. (So close to her lips. Butterflies appear on her tummy, making her nervous. A good type of nervous, though).

"It's five on the morning. I want to sleep for at least two more hours" she puts her forehead on his chest and her hands on his belly.

"Alright" he smiles, sleepy. "Good night…I guess"

"Just sleep, Alphonse. We both know you like to"

* * *

He stops on Dublith some days before going to the East. He has lunch with them and she asks him to go for a walk.

"Al…Look, you don't know how long you'll be gone. And in only a few months, things can change, and I'm aware of that. So…what I'm trying to say is that if you want to end this here and now, I won't stop you"

"Rin, what are you talking about?" Al grabs her chin and makes her look at him.

"You're going to go to another country, Al! And you'll meet people better than me, and prettier girls, and I don't want you to feel like you're stuck with me, because you're not. And I don't want you to-"she stops in midsentence when Al kisses her to make her shut up.

"You are crazy, Rin-Rin" he whispers, looking at her with so much love that she blushes and hides her face "I don't want to leave you. And if I find another woman, or you find another man, we'll deal with that when the time comes. For now, I want you"

* * *

Winry calls her the day Ed leaves, saying things about Equivalent Exchange.

"And he told me he'll give me half of his life! Do you know what does that mean?" she sounds very excited.

"Ehm…he'll keep half of his life for himself?"

"No! He asked me to marry him! I mean, it's not official, of course, but I think that's what he meant-"

"Win, it's wonderful! Congratulations!" she says once she can overcome her surprise.

"Thank you! Although I wonder when will he start doing things like normal people…"

"But if he did…"

"…he wouldn't be Ed"

* * *

Both brothers keep in touch while they're gone. They send pictures, letter and even from time to time, Win and Rin get phone calls.

Edward goes back to Resembool eight months after he left. And of course, he comes back with a broken leg and a ring.

The wedding is very nice. A lot of people from a lot of places come. Alphonse walks Winry down the aisle and Elicia makes a very cute flower girl.

After they kiss, the 'Team Mustang' forms a 'Sable arch' as an act of respect for an old comrade.

Rin doesn't know of any other wedding that had the Xing emperor attending the ceremony as a civilian (And eating _a lot_ of food. As in three of everything), but she guesses that nothing is normal on the Fullmetal Alchemist's life.

After everything dies down, she founds Alphonse under a tree, his back facing her while looking at the hills.

"I'm going back to Xing, you know" he says before she even speaks. "Alkaestry" he adds after a moment of silence.

"You can sense my soul or what?" she asks hugging him from behind.

"It's more like energy. I'll teach it to you one day when I come back" he answers, turning back to return the hug.

"Okay" she answers, looking at the ground.

"Hey. I promise the next time I come back will be when I finish everything. I'm really close to getting Zampano and Jerso back to normal"

"Okay" she repeats "Take all the time you need" she pushes back her tears and smiles at him.

* * *

He comes back on a sunny day. She's alone on the butcher shop, her back to the door when he enters.

"One second! What do you need?" she asks not turning around.

"Maybe you can help me" he says "Someone told me I won a heart, so I came here to see if I still own it" she turns around and sees him there, coat on his arm and suitcase on the floor.

"Al" she whispers, walking slowly towards him "AL!" she screams, now running. She jumps on him, her arms around his neck.

"Rin" he breathes, his hands on her head and back hugging her.

"I missed you so much" she cries.

_(How long has it been since she last saw him? Eight months? Ten months? And at least five weeks without news)_

"I missed you too" he answered, moving his hands on her back.

(That's something she missed. How much Alphonse liked to touch people)

* * *

_"Al?" she ask, turning around on the bed. Besides her, her husband is sobbing softly into his arm, looking at celing while trying not to move. She understands at once and hugs him. "You should have wake me, how many time do I have to tell you?" she says, touching his face. _

_"I'm sorry. I'm sorry" she's not even sure if he's talking to her or if it's just because of the dream. _

_It hurts her to see him like this. So broken, so fagile, so damaged. And even in those moments, he doesn't think about himself. He tries to be quiet, because she's sleeping. Because the doctor said she need to rest. _

_But the doctor doesn't know about the nightmares. About the fears. About the guilty that follows him. About all the things he saw. Abput the monstruosity they created, about the little girl and her dog, about the woman who died inside of him. About the Truth. _

_But she does. She does, and she tries to help, and she doesn't care about herself on that moments, because on that moments she's fine, and he's not, and anything else doesn't matter. _

_Because she swore she would be with him for better and for worse. Until death. _

_And death wasn't there yet._

* * *

**Woooo, new chapter! I'm sorry if any character is too OoC, I didn't meant to. Sorry for any mistake, as always. **

**So, I think we only have left their life as a married couple. With that, of course, come the children and everything. That is, of course, if anyone wants me to keep writing. I don't see the point in publishing if no one is going to see it. **


	6. Chapter 6

"Are you guys hungry?" she asks with a tray with sandwiches and drinks already on her hands.

"YES!" one brother shouts, running towards her while the younger one walks.

"Thanks" Al takes one sandwich, kissing her temple while passing one arm around her waist.

"Do you like it?" Ed asks, looking proudly at the house in from of them.

"Yes. Thank you, for everything" she smiles, resting her head on Al's shoulder.

"Meh. It's going to look great when we finish it" he takes a bite off the sandwich, reaching for a glass. "But don't worry" he speaks with his mouth full "it's going to be finished before the wedding" he winks at her, and she blushes.

"Brother, don't speak with your mouth full. Seriously, you're already 20 years old" Alphonse sighs.

"Damn right I am" Ed finishes his sandwich and goes back to the house.

"I'll go back. See you later?" she kisses him softly. He breaks the kiss and starts walking backwards.

"See you later" he waves at her and starts jogging to the house.

Only a month, she thinks smiling. She supports the tray on her hip, humming on her head. One month and they'll be married.

* * *

_"__Do you know how Brother proposed to Winry?" Al asked one evening while they were sitting at the river, Den playing some meters away from them._

_"__Yes. Equivalent Exchange and everything" she smiled. _

_"__Well…you see, I believe on another principle. If you take ten, you can give eleven" he looked at her and took her hand "If you let me take ten, I promise I'll give back eleven" he cupped her face, looking into her eyes._

_"__Alphonse" she smiled, tears forming on her eyes "You can take as much as you want. I know you will give back more than enough"_

_When they go back to the Elric-Rockbell house, Ed hugged his brother and Winry threw herself at Rin in the moment they opened the door, having known the plan all along. _

_That night they stay up until it's late, laughing and remembering, telling stories about good times, and some about bad times._

* * *

"Are you ready?" her father opens the door, her mother behind him.

"Oh, dear. You look lovely" her mother hugs her carefully.

"C'mon, c'mon C'MON, people! We can't have the groom waiting!" Ed pokes his head through the door.

"Edward! Let them have a moment" Winry takes a wrench from her old nightstand and hits Ed on the head with it.

"Winry!" His pregnant wife takes his ear on her hand and drags him out of the room.

"Alright, I have to get married" she smiles to her dad, taking his arm.

The ceremony isn't something big. Usually, ceremonies are religious things, and since neither of them believed in God (but both wanted to believe that dead people were on a nice place) it was mostly singing papers and telling each other their vows.

Alphonse has tears on his eyes when she vows to be with him, for better and for worse. Be with him on happy moments, and on sad ones. Be with him until death. She vows to be with him 'til the end of the line. She tell him that she doesn't care if he's flesh and bones, doesn't care if he's made of metal. He's Al. And she loves him.

She cries when Alphonse vows to be with her forever, even if they're old, even if one of them doesn't remember and even if one isn't completely human.

"Silly man" she calls him, making some people snort "You always were human" Alphonse kisses her on that moment not caring about the whole 'you may kiss the bride' thing.

They fall asleep very quickly that night, waking up early the next morning to take a train.

* * *

It's two months later, after their honeymoon on Xing, that Nicolas Elric is born.

"Win, he's beautiful. He looks so much like brother" Al holds the baby on his arms, sitting beside Winry.

"I know" the new mother smiles resting tired against the bed pillows.

"He's going to be so badass when he grows up" smiles proudly Ed from Winry's other side.

"And hopefully tall"

"RIN!"

* * *

"I want kids" she tells him that night, her head resting on his shoulder while both lay on their bed.

"Yeah, me too" he answers, holding her hand.

"But-" they both start talking, and shut up to let the other talk.

"But I'm afraid" she starts when he doesn't "Mom told me it took years for my parent to have me"

"I'm afraid too. I still think that this body must have something wrong…after so many years on the Gate, who know what could happen…"

"But we can try, right?

* * *

And they try. They try for months and months. It's a year and a half later (and they have a nephew _and_ a niece by that time) when she gets pregnant.

She prepares an elaborate dinner with candles and dessert, and smiles for the whole time.

"So all this dinner…you want to try tonight?" he looks at her, sipping his milk.

"No" she shakes her head "Alphonse, we won't have to keep trying" he is confused for a moment before his eyes light up with hope.

"Really?" she nods smiling, tears forming on her eyes "Rin, this is wonderful" he stands up and picks her by the waist, hugging her tightly and spinning around "I…I have to tell brother" not letting her go, he makes her put her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. And then he starts running.

"Al" she laughs, holding even tighter. He throws a jacket on her shoulders and runs down the path to the Elric-Rockbell's house, smiling and looking at her like she's some kind of goddess who just granted him a wish.

He knocks on the door, calling for his brother loudly.

"Alphonse!" Ed opens the door, and Al sees Winry close to their kids ready to take them out of the room in case something they must not see had happened. "What-Is Rin okay?" he sounds alarmed, ready to take her from his little brother's arms.

"I'm wonderful, Edward" she turns around getting down from her husband, and she's ready to cry by that time.

Because she's going to be a mom. She has something that Al and her, both of them made.

"You're gonna be an uncle" Al laughs, and hugs his brother.

"I'm…WINRY! Winry, guess what! It's awesome, awesome!"

* * *

She starts bleeding on an afternoon six weeks later. She's alone, Al being in Central because of his job.

She feels scared. She feels her blood turning cold, and her chest tightening. She knows bleeding could be normal, but it still leaves a bad feeling on the pit of her stomach.

She grabs the phone and dials the first number that comes to her mind.

"Yes, Rockbell Prosthetic Limb Outfitters, what can we do for you?" sounds Winry's voice.

"Win. Call a doctor. I'm bleeding" she hangs up and lays down on the couch, tears falling quickly from her scared face. She doesn't want to lose this child, or any child.

Al comes home early after receiving a call from Ed only to find her crying on their bed with Winry at her side.

She falls asleep crying just as he does, embracing each other for some kind of relieve.

* * *

_"You should blame me" she whispers on a dinner, looking down. _

_"What? Why would I do that?" Al tries to take her hand, but she puts them on her lap. _

_"It's always my fault. I must have done something...I'm so sorry" sobs make her shoulders shake and her trembling hands cover her mouth. "I'm sorry" she keeps saying that, with big fat tears falling to her lap. _

_How many time has she said this? How many times has she apologized for something everyone knows is not her fault? Al thinks that she must have been doing this since at least six years; blaming herself, always feeling like it was something she did, always feeling bad. It was that boy back then who made her be like this, and no matter how many years Alphonse had showed her love and trust, and tried to make her confident, she always blamed herself. _

_It was something that clung to her mind and made her go back to the past. _

_"It wasn't you" he said, getting up and kneeling in front of her "It wasn't you" he repeats, and then he starts crying too, because he was the father of that baby. He was the father, and he loved it as much as she did._

_He loved it as someone who didn't have a father to love, as someone who lost so much and suffered for so long._

_He loved it as someone who wants a family to love. _

* * *

They try again a year later. And by that time Ed and Win have three kids.

She gets pregnant six months later.

She tells him the news right away, and that night they both have nightmares.

She is scared. Terrified. She doesn't want to lose it, she doesn't want that anything happens to it.

So this time, she is more careful. And so is he. Her pregnancy is one of high risk, and she spends the last three months on Central on a house close to the hospital.

* * *

_"Al? Alphonse! Wake up" he wakes up so fast that he has to stop for a moment so the things stop moving. _

_"What happened? It's the baby?" he puts a hand on her belly, and she nods with her eyes shut. _

_"It's coming"_

* * *

Her twins are born on the morning, but not everything is so nice. She's rushed to the emergency room and they have to remove her uterus. She's only on her early twenties, but she can't have more children. Al accepts it with calm, and shuts her up when she says sorry over and over again.

They are tiny, fragile little things. They wake them up at midnight, and Rin and Al often found themselves dozing off.

They know they have a long way ahead. They know that there are a lot of thing they must learn. But they can do it.

They know they can.

* * *

_**Oh my god I'm so sorry! School has been hell lately and I didn't have the time to write. I considered deleting the story but didn't have the heart to, as this is my first story. I think I'm going to write one more chapter? I just have to find the time...**_


End file.
